I separated my 2 oscars and treated them for hole-n-head(because one was getting so agressive) I have put them back together in their tank and they seem to be doing ok now except now they won`t eat,whats going on?
2007-01-31 03:16:06 · 4 answers · asked by pumpkin 4 in Pets ➔ Fish
Kari R no need for insults ,I`m trying my best to learn,I`m not trying to kill them,take a chill pill,will ya!
2007-01-31 04:26:02 · update #1
Gahpy,I have checked the water and it is good and also I think I have their diet ok Crickets,Hikari pellets,bloodworms,Thanks
2007-01-31 04:30:57 · update #2
Fish will often not eat when they are stressed. Moving them around to different tanks and treating them are all stressful to them.
Ensure that the water quality is pristine (zero ammonia, zero nitrites, very low nitrates) and that they have the hiding spaces they need.
Then keep the lights low for a while and try to entice them with a variety of foods.
They should start eating in a day or two.
2007-01-31 03:23:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, Kari seems to have a 100% opinon on the cause of HITH, even though the professionals aren't so sure. Where is your info from?
The fact is stress contributes to it. Maybe stress from lousy water, lousy food, or lousy tankmates. A high quality and varied diet is a great idea, as well as keeping the water pristine. If your tank is anything less then 75 gallons it's really not enough for a pair of Oscars, and if your Oscars are not a pair then the fighting will soon pick up where it left off and you really will need to remove one permanently.
*the diet you are giving them sounds fine - also make sure you are giving them enough to suit their healthy appetites.
*Fighting doesn't cause HITH, but the stress from the constant aggression can contribute to it.
2007-01-31 12:25:50 · answer #2 · answered by Ghapy 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hole in the head is not caused by fighting. If your fish have wounds from fighting with each other, those are wounds from bites, and should not be treated with anything other than extra clean water and some salt to make sure they don't get a secondary infection.
If they do have REAL hole-in-head disease, this is the result of malnutrition. Oscars are surprisingly susceptible to malnutrition; to be healthy, they need a varied diet with lots of protein from earthworms, shrimp, and a quality cichlid pellet. Feeding them too many feeder fish or beef heart or of any one feed is dangerously bad for their health.
Aggression itself is typically caused by a lack of territory. Oscars are big fish and can grow up to 14" long; 12" being common. They need a minimum of 60 gallons each, so 120 gallons would be the bare minimum for your two oscars to have enough room for them each to have their own territory. If they don't have enough room, they will fight.
They aren't eating right now because they are stressed from being moved around, from being treated for a disease they may or may not have, from possible malnutrition, and from possibly cramped quarters. You need to ensure that they have enough room, clean water, and a good diet if you want them to recover.
Please do your research thoroughly; oscars are wonderful fish, and hardy, but they need a certain quality of life to be healthy.
2007-01-31 12:28:34 · answer #3 · answered by Zoe 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hole in the head is not due to aggression. If they actually do have hole in the head disease, it is due to a poor diet. So therefore if they get it, it is because YOU do not give them a balanced, nutritious, diet. Oscars sulk if something is different, or if they don't like something. So, because YOU separated them, and then put them back together, it will take them time to adjust (again!). Maybe you should actually read up on something, before you should be able to take care of a living thing.
2007-01-31 11:46:56 · answer #4 · answered by Kari R 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋